Summer Shows and Swing Spaces

The Nats!Can I interest you in a supplemental life insurance policy?The CC/Malibu is back and a car alarm is going off as I took this picture.

We just got back from what I’d consider to be a very successful Car Craft Summer Nationals in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. You can read the full coverage in these pages soon, but to sum it up, we had great weather and a great turnout. The quality of cars in the area is exceptional, and I made sure to set aside time from “working” the show to actually just walking the show to see what was there. I’m impressed with the diversity of cars in attendance—from traditional hot rods and kustoms, to showroom restorations and Day 2 street machines, to purpose-built race cars. The age demographic was just as diverse, with a broad swath of enthusiasts both young and old. It was great to see all the families there, hopefully, planting the seeds for the next generation of hot rodders. We changed the format of Real Street Eliminator—our Pro Touring driving competition within the show—to be more accessible, and participation responded favorably. The competition was fierce and the results were closer than any other time we’ve put on the event. Participation in Midnight Drags, held on Saturday night at Great Lakes Dragaway, and by our last count, we had 51 cars enter—more than double last year’s total.

I don’t mean to brag; I’m just excited to see how much our show has grown in just its second year at Wisconsin State Fair Park. We got some really useful feedback from attendees, which we will use to continue to improve the show next year and beyond. So, yes, we will be back in Milwaukee next year and in the foreseeable future. The show is only going to get bigger and better from here.

And then we returned to our new, temporary office space! Renovations to our El Segundo, California, office began while we were in Milwaukee, so movers took my computer and phone to the “swing space” a couple buildings away. Why just my computer and phone? Because that’s all that fits on my new desk, of course. Rumors of the place reached me in Milwaukee as several co-workers likened it to a telemarketing call center. They weren’t lying; we’re stacked in here like sardines. Headphones help minimize the distractions, and I’ve discovered the joy of searching “in-car camera” on YouTube. Do that and turn autoplay on! You’ll be rewarded with video after video of cars on tracks all over the world. I let it run nearly all day and minimize the window so I’m listening to engine sounds like a soundtrack in my head—it’s pretty inspiring for the work I’m trying to get done. In other good news, the CC/Malibu is running again after its ill-fated road trip last summer. I figured out why it was overheating, fixed it, and the car runs great now. With a newly added set of headers and true dual exhaust, it sounds great, too. I’ve been driving it every day, so the V8 soundtrack I’m enjoying at work also extends to my commute, and that’s pretty awesome. The car sets off car alarms every day in our parking garage. I can’t be the only one who appreciates this. —John McGann